Title: Poly(ethylene oxide) in polypyrrole doped dodecylbenzenesulfonate: characterisation and linear actuation

Authors: Rudolf Kiefer; Roshan Khadka; Jadranka Travas-Sejdic

Addresses: Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ' Polymer Electronics Research Centre, School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand; The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington 6140, New Zealand ' Polymer Electronics Research Centre, School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand; The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington 6140, New Zealand

Abstract: We show improvement in linear actuation properties of polypyrrole-doped dodecylbenzenesulfonate (PPy/DBS) by incorporating varying amounts of polyethylene oxide (5 wt % or 15 wt %) into PPy during electroploymerisation (PPy/DBS-PEO). Knowing that pristine PPy/DBS linear actuators in aqueous electrolytes are driven by cation ingress during reduction, the actuation properties are studied in isotonic (length change) mode of electro-chemo-mechanical-deformation (ECMD) measurements. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy revealed that PEO is incorporated in PPy/DBS films. ECMD studies revealed a three-fold improvement in electronic conductivity for the PPyDBS-PEO 15% film that also demonstrated improved strain of 7% in comparison to the strain of PPy/DBS film of 1.9%.

Keywords: PPy/DBS; PEO 5% and 15%; isotonic ECMD; aqueous electrolyte; cyclic voltammetry; SEM micrographs; EDX; energy dispersive X-ray.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2018.098435

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2018 Vol.15 No.8/9/10, pp.689 - 694

Published online: 22 Mar 2019 *

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